Momma’s Glazed Baked Ham Recipe

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My Momma makes the best glazed baked ham this side (and the other side) of the Mississippi River. She gave me her famous recipe so I could make it for Thanksgiving a few years ago. I was surprised at how easy it was to do. I love how she rigged the process to make it her own.

Momma’s Glazed Baked Ham Recipe

A Cook’s brand shank portion ham with bone-in is ideal for this recipe. A butt portion is a little more in price and still produces the same results. The Carolina Pride brand is the only other one Momma suggests. When buying your ham, consider the weight. You will be baking it for approximately 20 minutes per lb. I baked one that was 8 and 1/2 lbs.

Other items that you will need:

Can of sliced pineapples

Small jar of maraschino cherries

1 to 2 tsp brown sugar

Dollop of yellow mustard

1 to 2 cans of Sprite or ginger ale or club soda

Turkey baster (optional)

Toothpicks

Aluminum foil

Roasting pan (a sturdy, disposable aluminum one works well also)

Preheat oven to 325°.

Remove ham from wrapper and take out the plastic round disk covering the bone. Keep carving instructions included.

Lay exposed cut-side of the ham face down in a roasting pan. It will remain that way for the duration of cooking. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and estimate how long you will need to bake it based on 20 minutes per lb.

After the first hour, drain the liquid from the pan with a turkey baster or carefully pour it out into a container or the sink. Pour enough Sprite or Sprite alternative over the ham to cover it. This will bring the salt out of the ham. Put foil back over the pan tightly and continue baking.

Prior to the last 30 minutes of cooking, prepare the glaze.

How to Make the Glaze

Juice from can of sliced pineapples

Brown sugar

1/2 of juice from jar of cherries (very sweet)

A dollop of yellow mustard

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat and reduce. You want a syrupy texture but not too thick or too thin.

Adjust ingredients as needed

When you approach the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the ham from the oven. You may need to drain more liquid from the pan first. Use a sharp knife to score the fatty top of the ham making a crisscross pattern. Just the fat on the top–not the meat. This will allow the glaze to seep into the ham.

Place four sliced pineapples on top of the ham and secure with toothpicks. Place one cherry in the center of each pineapple and secure with toothpicks. Feel free to add more if you like. Pour most of the glaze over the ham. It’s OK to cover the fruit with glaze to caramelize it.

Place ham back in the oven uncovered and bake for 30 minutes. It may need some additional time if the glaze has not set on the ham. Use any remaining glaze as you see fit during this final baking time.

Finally, remove your ham from the oven and let it rest lightly covered with foil for about 15 minutes. Use the carving instructions for assistance.

Tips: For a family of 3, carving from the sides will give you plenty of ham to serve. The longer the ham stays on the bone, the moister it will be. Don’t carve up the whole ham all at once unless you are serving a larger group. Also, the bottom of the ham that has been sitting in the juices the whole time will be sweeter but perhaps not as moist as the other portions.

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26 thoughts on “Momma’s Glazed Baked Ham Recipe”

I haven’t had ham in years and after reading this, I want ham, like, right now.
Off to share and drool and dream of ham. 😉
Hope this weekend is treating you kindly and thanks to all for another astonishingly amazing #trafficjamweekend – wow, you just never know what treasures you’re going to find in that blogging goldmine. 🙂

That looks fabulous! I love a good ham! We’re debating on that or turkey for Christmas. I am tempted to do both. Holiday leftovers are the best! Thanks for sharing it with us at Foodie Fridays…I am pinning this one right now!